The former Minister of Finance, Noda Yoshihiko’s rise to power seems to reflect Japan’s economic priorities. In addition to the structural challenges of the national debt and a strong yen, the DPJ leader must obviously cope with the economic implications of the nuclear crisis on one hand and of reconstruction on the other. In that context, and in the wake of the Japan’s natural disaster, the question of waste management, all the more complex in the Fukushima case because of radioactivity, is essential – even if not often raised. The new government also faces challenges in foreign affairs, especially on the topic of U.S. military bases in Okinawa and the Japan-U.S. relations. As the seventh Prime Minister in six years; and having become head of the country without strong popular support and in an atmosphere tainted by factional struggles within the DPJ, Noda’s future is already seemingly deemed uncertain.
Summary
– CLOSE UP ON THE NEWS –
Post 11 March disaster waste management (Raphaël Languillon-Aussel)
What to Do with Futenma? Five Options for the U.S. Military Base in Okinawa (Kawato Yuko)
– POINTS OF NEWS –
Kitaoka Shinichi, « Can the Noda government retain power? – How can the debacle of Japanese politics be avoided », – article appearing in the journal Chûô Kôron (translated from the Japanese by Amélie Corbel)
Interview with Abe Shinzô by Okazaki Hisahiko, « Noda’s diplomatic approach subject to approval. Some advice based on our experience in foreign diplomacy », Voice (translated from the Japanese by Adrienne Sala)